


Brother of Mine

by rotKaiserin



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 13:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13636971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rotKaiserin/pseuds/rotKaiserin
Summary: There was no family Veronica had left, save for the exiled prince -- an older brother. Often she wondered what it was like to have a sibling.





	Brother of Mine

**Author's Note:**

> hey there! this was something i wrote a while ago but i thought that, in light of veronica's 2nd place win in CYL, it'd be a good idea to pretty this up and post it!
> 
> this is largely headcanon, but it was a concept i found interesting while i was writing a zachabruno character study (which is currently in limbo rip). i always found veronica and zachabruno's relationship to be more complex than what we've seen. considering zachabruno's history, i figured they weren't raised together and there seems to be an age gap, so there's a lot of nuances to their dynamic. this is just from veronica's perspective though, i think zachabruno's got a much more complicated take on it haha
> 
> this is crossposted on my [writing blog](https://missblanchette.tumblr.com/post/170739842103/brother-of-mine-11). thank you for reading and i hope you all enjoy~! (´∀｀)♡

An older brother, Veronica always imagined, was stern yet caring, tough yet protective -- equal parts protector and nurturer. He would pick her up whenever she fell and give her words of encouragement as he wiped the tears from her eyes. Hand-in-hand, he'd teach her the ways of the world and all that he knew, for an older brother was supposed to be wiser and more intelligent. Even more, he'd destroy her enemies in her stead and defend her as she ruled, acting as her right-hand man at all times. As austere as he was, he'd always join her tea parties and lull her to sleep whenever the cold night was too much to bear by herself. He would love her just as family does, and her in return.

Despite not knowing more than his name, Veronica wondered about this brother of hers. She'd only heard rumors of the exiled prince as she grew up, that he was the worthless son of a traitor. Nonetheless, she cared little for them. No matter what Bruno was, he was the only family she had left and a family ought to care for each other. So when he finally returned to court, after years of wishful thinking, Veronica welcomed him with open arms.

But Bruno was not at all how she expected.

He was there, except that he wasn't truly; a half-brother in every aspect of the word "half" -- half-blood, half-present, half-loving. He let her call him "Brother," but he hardly stayed home. He was usually lost in his books or out of the castle, his whereabouts unknown. "I'm looking for something that will cure us," he'd told her, but neither of them were sick. Even if she were, he should be spending all his time with her as that was what a brother should do. Veronica only let him go without much hassle because he stayed for tea, but so often she wished that he, too, was bound by a contract to never leave her side. He patted her head but his touch was lukewarm, and he put his faith in her but his thoughts drifted elsewhere. He smiled at her but it looked so sad, just as sad as the one she saw when she looked in the mirror. Bruno was there. But he wasn't really there _with_ her.

If family ties were as strong as the other Heroes said, then why was she still alone? Love was feeble, love was weak, and seeing the relationship she shared with Bruno only proved that. She had no use for such things, but... still, she clung onto what little they had. Bruno's love felt half hearted, just as his presence in the castle was. But half hearted was more than nothing and she would take what she could get. After all, for once in her life, Veronica started to feel a little less lonely.

**Author's Note:**

> *weeps* IntSys pls let them be happy in the end
> 
> anyways, thank you guys again for reading!! feel free to let me know what you think in the comments, or hit me up on [tumblr](http://dollofdeath.tumblr.com) or [twitter](http://twitter.com/nighthawkstars). hope you all have a lovely day/night~! ( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/


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